Higgins Group London LeagueDivision OneChelmsford II 4East Grinstead III 3CHELMSFORD Men's seconds returned to Chelmer Park this weekend and achieved their first win in Division One of the London league.

Higgins Group London League

Division One

Chelmsford II 4

East Grinstead III 3

CHELMSFORD Men's seconds returned to Chelmer Park this weekend and achieved their first win in Division One of the London league. In securing three points, they also extended their unbeaten run to three games.

Playing East Grinstead threes, Chelmsford started positively and the opening 10 minutes showed some of their best hockey of the season. The opening goal came from a good switch from right to left at the back, followed by a good attacking run by Rob Wallbank leaving George Mann with the job of putting the ball away.

Chelmsford's next two goals game as the result of more confident play in and around the EG 'D' leading to mounting pressure. The first came from Chris Wilson, converting a fee hit from just outside the 'D'. The second was from James Beardwell, making it two in two for the youngster, scoring from a deflection off the 'keeper's pads.

After such a solid opening 20 minutes, it was disappointing to not go into half time with a clean sheet intact. However a combined lapse in concentration in defence allowed the visitors to register one of their few penalty corners of the half. Whilst this was defended, a harsh decision saw a second corner and this was duly converted.

East Grinstead came out in the second half looking much more determined, and certainly upped their tempo, though the Super Twos weathered the early storm. Short corners became more frequent for the visitors and they soon scored their second, putting more pressure on the home team. Chelmsford responded well and after another intelligent passage of play were awarded, and scored, a corner of their own - the strike again coming from Wilson, this time on the rebound.

When an individual error at the back for Chelmsford bought about more penalty corners for the visitors, a third goal looked to be on the cards. When this came, it made for a tense final few minutes. However, with the score at 4-3, the Greens looked to play more of the basic hockey that had seen them go ahead early on, and managed to keep possession and play decent hockey until the final whistle.